Gran Turismo 5

[Darwock]

I just got gold in the camper vans myself, but I found it to be pretty much nothing like FSW said. I had to get into their slipstream as much as possible to gain advantage on the straights, I also had to avoid all contact as I seemed to get disqualified for the slightest shunt. I pretty much took the same lines as them too with the exception of the first complex with the cones, where I would cut to the outside of the three cones and come back in before the barrier on the right.

After watching the replay I was amazed at how cleanly I raced, that is nothing like my usual behaviour!

[wod]

does getting gold unlock the top gear track as that campervans race annoyed me a lot last night, as i could only get to 8th place.

does anyone think the licences are have got easier or still the same as i managed to get gold on some, that a-7 one with focus st was awful but still managed a gold time and those where you late brake to overtake on a corner seemed to be able to slam on brakes and touch the car in 1st and get gold ?

[Darwock]

Yes, you get the top gear track for winning and no, I don't think the licenses have gotten any easier. I only have gold in one and often needed multiple attempts to get silver.

I had all golds in GT and GT3, can't do it here.

[wod]

does anyone elses ps3 not sign into the playstation network from with in gt5 as i get a message saying to sign in before the game is loaded ?

[Brad]

I just got gold in the camper vans myself, but I found it to be pretty much nothing like FSW said. I had to get into their slipstream as much as possible to gain advantage on the straights, I also had to avoid all contact as I seemed to get disqualified for the slightest shunt. I pretty much took the same lines as them too with the exception of the first complex with the cones, where I would cut to the outside of the three cones and come back in before the barrier on the right.

After watching the replay I was amazed at how cleanly I raced, that is nothing like my usual behaviour!

Would LOVE to see your replay mate. I drove like an absolute arsehole to win it. Not clean at all, lots of barging about in the turns. Sounds like you did it as Polyphony intended!

[Darwock]

I did save it, is there a way to send replays to people within the game?

[Brad]

Don't think so, the replay data is about 5 meg. What I'll do is PM you my ftp details, you can download mine and upload yours and we can compare

[Wools]

I was surprised when I competed a 5 race series last night...

->Open Spoiler<-

And got the end credits for the game and a trophy. As far as I can make out, Polyphony have decided to call one event the end and then tell you that you should keep playing... I guess they decided to give the user the end credits as the majority won't complete 100% of the game, but it feels odd to include it at the end of a normal event.

I've been playing the game with the Driving Force GT & a Wheel Stand Pro over the entire weekend, and the game comes alive with a wheel set up. The game is still perfectly fine with a DS3 but using a wheel transforms it into something approaching real life driving. The force feedback is brilliant, fighting you on any movement, going light when touching grass or shaking violently when clipping a rumble strip.

Progress wise, I've completed all the licence tests and have tipped over 30% game completion with a healthy amount of money and cars. I've noticed a few people talking about grinding for money or advising not buying a luxury car early on. Just by progressing through single player, I've been able to buy a Nissan GT-R, Ferrari 458, AMG SLS, Lancia Delta and the required funds to buy and spec a GT-R Spec V to over 800BHP, all with a million credits left over. You're also gifted quite a few cars that are suitable for races and as long as you don't want a ridiculous car immediately, you can accumulate funds fairly easily.

I can heartily recommend, just like purchasing a Skyline in previous GT's, to pick up a GT-R as soon as you can. Not only is it fast in stock, but if you tune it, it competes with top production Ferrari's and can be used in a lot of race classes. That car has netted me an awful lot of wins and there's still a bit more performance I can get out of it.

[Brad]

One other thing I noticed, the force feedback is more refined in GT5 than it is in GT4. GT4's feedback feels quite limited, rough and jerky in comparison to the range of feedback I'm getting from GT5.

[Supergoal]

I've been playing the game with the Driving Force GT & a Wheel Stand Pro over the entire weekend, and the game comes alive with a wheel set up. The game is still perfectly fine with a DS3 but using a wheel transforms it into something approaching real life driving. The force feedback is brilliant, fighting you on any movement, going light when touching grass or shaking violently when clipping a rumble strip.

I'm thinking of getting that wheel, just need a little more convincing before shelling out.

[Wools]

I was in a position of thinking it would not be good enough, I would not have the space and I wouldn't use it after the initial playtime. I could not have been more wrong or have guessed it would transform the game as much as it has.

I drive in real life and have a tiny amount of racing experience, and that makes it over into using the Logitech. GT5 already simulates under steer, over steer, camber changes, engine positioning and thousands of other little factors and all of these are replicated through the force feedback. I don't claim to be fully knowledgeable as a driver or have the reactions of a whippet, but I can feel the car losing its back end with too much throttle, when the inside tyre clips the back of a rumble strip and unbalances the car, when the brakes lock and the car wants to propel itself forward and when I'm applying too much travel on the wheel and the tyres no longer hold grip. The way in which the force feedback works as it would on a road, and transmits this through a wheel that does not cost the earth, is completely incredible.

After using the wheel & the stand, I don't really want to go back to a pad. It's transformed the experience. Go and buy one!

[JP]

I really have to agree about the comments concerning using a wheel, the feedback can be incredibly forceful but it's so subtle. You really can feel all four wheels and you know exactly what each of them are doing in relation to what ever they are running on.

Having tried a few combinations of wheel and sims including on the PC I can honestly say that it comes to wheel control I can't think of anything that matches this.

When you combine that with a driving model which feels far ahead of anything else on consoles and even beats the better PC sims you really do end up with something that feels pretty special.

Jalopnik, the motorsport site, put it far better than me in their launch day write up...

Polyphony Digital's built a driving game with the most accurate individual vehicle driving dynamics mapping I've ever seen. That's right, Gran Turismo 5 is the most life-like racing game ever.

Go ahead, dump the clutch in a Camaro SS for a devastatingly stable tire-shredding burnout. Skitter around a corner like an excited puppy dog in a Mini Cooper S. Take off in a GT-R with launch control. It all feels spot on.

And when I mean spot on, I mean it causes flashbacks. I took a level left-hand corner hard in the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 (no driving aids on other than ABS brakes) on a city course and felt the same sloppy steer-with-your-right-foot cornering I last remembered feeling driving around a Michigan left on Metro Detroit's Woodward Avenue. Entering the corner a touch too fast, I actually felt, through the controller, the rear end shift out from underneath me and start to slip sideways. Applying throttle while exiting the corner corrected the muscle car's big back end just like in real life.

But, for a real treat ? and after eight hours of continuous play turned my thumbs raw and blistered from numb-on/off button-controlled acceleration and braking ? I decided to pair the game with a Logitech Driving Force Gran Turismo Racing Wheel provided for me by Sony's PR team.

The result was a driving experience that let me feel a car's weight, suspension set-up, and road surface in a way I've never felt before in anything but a multi-million dollar automaker simulator. The wheel changed the entire feel of the game, sucking me in for another 12 hours of gameplay.

So, after a Thanksgiving Day 20-hour marathon gaming session, I can conclusively say that the phenomenally realistic driving dynamics and true-to-life individual vehicular profiles make Gran Turismo 5 a must-drive.

I have to add that there is very much a learning process if you use a wheel and some may find it frustrating.

Having that much more control can feel like such a step up and I don't think the fact that you drive already will mean that you'll be up and running straight away.

As good as it is, I don't think a wheel is essential as the game handles brilliantly with a Dual Shock 3 anyway.

[kernow]

I sold my wheel just before this came out, it wasn't a hyper expensive one, but eh, it was pretty good, just a pain in the arse to drag out and setup all the time - its fun using one, but I'm not really fussed like that and a pad will do.

[saturn-gamer]

I was surprised when I competed a 5 race series last night...

->Open Spoiler<-

And got the end credits for the game and a trophy. As far as I can make out, Polyphony have decided to call one event the end and then tell you that you should keep playing... I guess they decided to give the user the end credits as the majority won't complete 100&#37; of the game, but it feels odd to include it at the end of a normal event.

Its always been like this. Complete the world cup and get some meaningless ending. The world cup in GT4 was quite fleshed out though. But there always used to be harder events.

But GT5 does feel rushed. The events feel like they're being slapped on. Siena is even listed on the Grand Tour screen. I'm sure its omitted. The Fiat 500 is a premium, I think the Fiat 500 race at Siena would be a career event too.

I have to say I didn't grind yet either, and I only did License A and B but I've beaten all of Beginner, Amateur and Professional. And a load of Special events as well, some like the Loeb challenge are extremely worthwhile to finish with gold.

[Supergoal]

Gutted. Finally decided to buy the gt wheel but getting to the shop there was none in stock.. Went to four other stores and none in stock.
When I bought the game there was stacks of the wheels in store but I didn't buy one. Doh. Have to wait till January for more stock to come in.